Lians Travel Africa
- Located In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2010)
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget & mid-range tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $100 to $700 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
CZ
Email Czech Travel group | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Follow up on awful February safari, Contacted by Lilian, turned out to be more games
I will be brief this time. We were contacted by Lilian who wanted to apologize for what she did. She was asking for forgiveness, that she had learnt her lesson. It really didn't mean much to us because the damage had been done, ruined safari, stuck with driver, all that, not showing up to the police station. She said she would refund the money in full on the condition that we remove the reviews so the group something was up. We told her at least half of the amount because we are not cruel people to demand the whole amount, and based on the circumstances of our ruined safari, we were being unbelievably fair. She went on about how hard things were and of course we are human and were ready to put in a word for her attempt to right the wrong. She offered to give 300 dollars to take down the reviews and for our group of 7 is 42 dollars per person. a fraction of what we had to pay extra on those few horrible days. We weren't gonna start haggling over how much lower we could go but the haggling started again. It was simple, pay the refund she wanted to pay then we put in a good word over the attempt to right the wrong. She mentioned she had a few clients coming in August and that would help her get the money for refunds, (That is the excuse she will use to let you believe she will fix things). She sent the 300 dollars and asked that we remove the reviews??That wasn't even what we had agreed on but then she said that in her own way it was "giving us the money for park fees". She then said her conscience was clear since she had finally given us the park fees.How absurd!!! The other twist was that she had the rest of the money actually and that she would pay it in full only if we removed the reviews. We were done with the games and we told her she could run her business however she liked. I said i would write this here to which i received the reply "I have an alternative I will just pay $300 and have a new website"."Write as many reviews as you can my dear". She has quite the taste for mockery. It seems she has done it again to other tourists so avoid Lians Travel.
AE
Email Biju Oommen | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Terrible Company !!! Cheaters !!! Left our group of 14 Tourists stranded in between the tour.
Complaint against Lians Travel Africa and the Operations Manager Lilian Maina.
We a group of 14 Indian Tourists including women and children from Dubai, United Arab Emirates had booked a tour package with Lilian's travel company and have been communicating with her from March, 2019 for this trip. We agreed for an all inclusive full board package for 5 Nights (12th Aug till 17th Aug 2019) excluding Flight tickets to visit Amboseli, Nakuru and Masai Mara. We paid a 25% advance before coming to Nairobi. As soon as we landed on 12th we could sense trouble as we were put up at a different hotel than agreed. Hence we only paid the rest of the amount leaving a small balance to be paid at the end of the trip.
However as the days passed, more trouble started and after the Amboseli and Nakuru hotel stay was over and when we reached Masai Mara, the company and Lilian could not be contacted anymore.
The Masai Mara hotel was just booked for one Night instead of two, this even after we agreeing on a contract with Lilian that was for the full travel stay of 5 Nights. After the first night stay at the hotel in Masai Mara is when we realised that we and our families and kids were left stranded without any money and accommodation. We had to arrange additional money with great difficulty and had to pay all our expenses for the last two days including the Masai Mara Hotel stay for two nights, Park entry and Masai Village fees ourselves.
The whole group feel cheated and we would like to officially log a complaint against Lilian Maina and her Travel company Lians Travel Africa.
Antony Kurian and Group (14 Tourists)
OM
Email VRISHALI | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fraud Travel Agent in Kenya duping international tourists.
This review is about LIANS Travel – actually LIA'R'S Travel,
Run by a woman named Lilian Maina – actually Lie-Liar.
BEWARE BEWARE BEWARE BEWARE
This company and the woman are a big dirty fraud, playing with international tourist’s money and time and taking them for a ride completely sabotaging their holiday plans.
Unfortunately, me and my wife (Indians) availed their services for a 10 days tour in 2nd week of August-19, but had to return home within 2 days, courtesy Lie-Liar.
Lilian Maina (Lie-Liar) has absolutely no knowleage of her own country's geography, parks, attractions, logistics, flight network, hotel availability, etc., etc. and is incapable of organizing any tours for the discerning international tourists. They are here only to con international tourists and earn a fast buck. Lie-Liar is an epitome of disrespect, arrogance, rudeness, selfishness and impoliteness and does not care a hoot about international visitors.
Everything went wrong once we paid the initial 30% advance.
1. The responses from Lilian (Lie-Liar) became slow & required follow up for getting things done
2. There was no sense of urgency in booking the hotels and internal flights although our tour was to start in a week’s time. Finally, Lilian (Lie-Liar) sent fake unconfirmed hotel vouchers.
3. Lilian (Lie-Liar) abruptly moved our first hotel stay to a remote location of her choice at the last moment with total disregard to our itinerary. This resulted in compromising our 1st day's itenerary plan and settle for something that we did not want – but which Lie-Liar wanted !!
4. Lilian (Lie-Liar) advised somebody would pick us up at Nairobi airport on arrival. However, nobody turned up for an hour and until we called her up.
5. Lilian (Lie-Liar) demanded for the 70% balance payment on arrival in cash, without providing any confirmed hotel bookings for the entire itinerary. By this time, we had realized that we might not get the services that we are paying for, and deferred this payment for a day, telling Lie-Liar that we shall pay online when we reach the 1st night’s destination.
6. Incidentally, our fears/doubts turned out to be true -
- Lilian (Lie-Liar) had agreed for a 4x4 Land Cruiser initially, but on reaching Kilaguni Airstrip, gave us the oldest possible rickety van (and of course the cheapest possible) which was so uncomfortable & noisy that it frightened all animals from afar making any sightings impossible.
- Lilian (Lie-Liar) had advised the name of particular Guide cum Driver initially but instead sent a shady character at the last moment with whom we felt very unsafe and unsecure. His main agenda was to take us to the lodge as soon as possible so that we can make payment to Lilian (Lie-Liar) who was eagerly expecting her 70% payment.
- Lilian (Lie-Liar) had agreed that all Park Fees are included in the package price, but when we landed at Kilaguni airstrip and entered Tsavo-West National Park, she asked us to pay them instead.
- Lie-Liar had mentioned that bottled water is included in the price, but did not provide any.
7. Lilian (Lie-Liar) had thanked us initially for the business and said she will not disappoint us. However, as soon as she got the 30% advance, she gave us only disappointment after disappointment. What a shame for a woman.
8. Once Lie-Liar realized that we are not falling prey to her tactics and accepting whatever she is doling out to us, she became angry and abusive saying that she does not trust Indians. For a tourist service provider, these comments are in poor taste and clearly reflect that she hardly cares for her international clients and is here just want to make a fast buck.
9. Completely exhausted with her tantrums and upset with the proceedings, we were in no mood to go ahead with the tour and therefore decided to abort the trip and returned home within 2 days.
We are sure this must have happened with many international tourists who may not have posted their reviews for various reasons or would have ignored whatever sub-standard stuff was thrown at them. All the good reviews 4/5 and 5/5 that we read about LIANS (LIARS) Travel on various travel sites are fake and just cannot be true. These are definitely posted by Lilian (Lie-Liar) herself. One personal meeting with her is enough to understand what a criminal woman she is, but by then it is too late for the hapless traveler.
To cut the long story short, once the international tourists have paid the 25% - 30% advance, they are caught in the web of LIANS (LIARS) Travels and are compelled to accept whatever is doled out to them. Thus, their tour is completely deranged and they may even have to return empty-handed as we had to in 2 days.
We would therefore strongly urge all international tourists to refrain from taking LIANS (Lilian Lie-Liar) Travel's services for organizing any safaris in Kenya. There are similar bad reviews and experiences from many international tourists about LIANS (LIARS) Travel that are very clear warnings to all. We therefore urge all travelers not to trust LIANS Lilian (Lie-Liar) in any case and BOYCOTT LIANS (Lilian Lie-Liar) FOREVER.